Chang Yu

Biodata

Background

Chang Yu is the son of Chang Liao and Liao Mei. Rather than joining his father’s diversified business, he established his own company. He began discussing entrepreneurship while at university and, with the Chang family’s backing, reached the same business standing as competitor Gan Junda within three years 5 8 17 23.

His independence developed alongside conflict with his mother over his sexuality. Liao Mei interfered with his connection to another man and arranged an engagement to Zhang Yao without his agreement. Chang Yu instructed Zhang Yao to return the betrothal gifts, but she refused and helped publicize their supposed impending marriage 3 5.

Chang Yu has depression and receives Xiaotu, a golden retriever, as an emotional support dog. Their first encounter takes an unexpected turn when he hears a human voice insulting him inside the dog’s thoughts 1 6 13.

Appearance

Chang Yu has a muscular physique maintained through regular workouts. He commonly wears shirts, suits, and ties at work 5 8 26 35.

• Build: Defined back and arm muscles; strong enough to lift Xiaotu with one hand early in the story 8 85.
• Eyes: Dark 145.
• Lips: Described as thin 35.
• Presentation: Initially keeps his work clothes immaculate, making Xiaotu’s shed fur conspicuous on his black suit 5.

Personality

Chang Yu usually presents himself as composed, confident, and difficult to intimidate. His pleasant smiles can conceal threats, and he responds particularly badly to coercion. When Liao Mei’s interference becomes intolerable, he uses his knowledge of a family scandal to force her to stop intruding into his private life 17. He likewise refuses to let the Li family use their assistance to his father as leverage over him 35.

He is teasing and calculating in his dealings with Yan Junye. Hearing the contrast between Xiaotu’s affectionate behavior and irreverent thoughts becomes a source of amusement, and he frequently answers those thoughts without revealing how much he knows 2 6 30. His germophobia repeatedly clashes with his growing willingness to carry, bathe, comfort, and share a bed with Xiaotu 32 39 54.

His affection is both devoted and possessive. He becomes jealous of Yan Junye’s past interest in Pei Bai, while Yan Junye later recognizes possessiveness behind some of his restrictions on petting and accepting food from others 103. Beneath his confidence, Chang Yu fears abandonment: he accepts responsibility for concealing his mind-reading and asks Yan Junye not to leave, without demanding forgiveness 102. The extras reveal his efforts to win sympathy as well as his genuine concern for Yan Junye’s emotional vulnerability 145.

Abilities & Skills

Mind-Reading

Chang Yu can hear Yan Junye’s thoughts, first encountering the ability while Yan Junye inhabits Xiaotu. It lets him recognize the human intelligence behind the golden retriever’s behavior 1 7.

• Hears thoughts that contradict Xiaotu’s outwardly obedient or affectionate performance 2 30.
• Receives warnings about Zhang Yao’s marriage scheme and information relevant to other scandals 5 117.
• Continues hearing Yan Junye after his return to human form 82 90.
• Cannot choose to remove the ability; he nevertheless acknowledges responsibility for benefiting from it without disclosure 102.
• Can move far enough away that he no longer hears Yan Junye’s thoughts 134.

Gathering Secrets and Bluffing

Chang Yu turns overheard information, investigation, and carefully chosen disclosures into leverage. Outsiders mistake his access to secrets for fortune-telling 28 36 68.

• Hears gossip shared by dogs and uses it without revealing his source 8 28.
• Has his assistant investigate people, including Yan Junye and Gu Hongzhuo 5 13.
• Bluffs Chang Yiyuan using information he has just received from Xiaotu 64.
• Needs a source for his information; he explicitly notes that he has no system supplying secrets 68.
• Does not understand all canine speech: he cannot interpret footage of the original golden retriever barking when Yan Junye is not inhabiting it 121.

Business and Negotiation

Chang Yu builds and runs his own company while handling competition, internal betrayal, and demands from his extended family 5 23 68.

• Uses photographs, recordings, and legal action against opponents rather than relying solely on accusations 23 26 34.
• Refuses business cooperation when it is offered as pressure to overlook wrongdoing 35.
• Secures a place on a livestreamed dog show by offering to invest, allowing Yan Junye to confront Pei Bai 118.

Physical Strength

Chang Yu exercises regularly but has never learned martial arts or self-defense 26.

• Disarms the knife-wielding Qi Lezhi by exploiting a moment of surprise 26.
• Carries Xiaotu when he refuses to walk and later carries Yan Junye during recovery 31 34 82.
• Rushes to protect Xiaotu from a pursuing Rottweiler despite doubting his ability to fight it 57.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Xiaotu and the Unwanted Engagement

Chang Yu names the golden retriever Xiaotu while secretly responding to Yan Junye’s insults 2. Through Yan Junye’s thoughts, he learns that Zhang Yao intends to use another man’s pregnancy, a fabricated miscarriage, and accusations against him to obtain money and damage the Chang family’s reputation. He exposes her cheating on a public screen and announces to reporters that he likes men 5 8.

Exposing Abuse and Betrayal

Chang Yu’s growing reputation as a “master” develops through a series of confrontations involving business rivals, abusive owners, and concealed wrongdoing.

After Qi Lezhi’s attack, Xiaotu insists on eating and resting at the table. Chang Yu covers him with his jacket and decides to raise him like a person rather than an ordinary dog 26.

Chang Family Scandal

Chang Yu uses the secret of Chang Yiyuan’s origins to secure Liao Mei’s promise to stop interfering with his private life 17. Later, he follows Chang Yiyuan abroad and confronts him about attempts to entrap him and his involvement in Chang Liao’s collapse 61 64.

Chang Yiyuan publicly reveals that his biological parents are Chang Liao’s fourth eldest uncle and Liao Mei’s mother. Although Chang Yu does not expose the secret himself, the scandal strengthens his reputation as someone who knows everything 64 68.

Restoring Yan Junye and Establishing Their Relationship

Chang Yu contacts Yan Junye’s parents, offers financial help, assists with finding a lawyer, and arranges experienced doctors for his treatment. He also seeks supernatural help to return Yan Junye’s soul to his body, paying a deposit to a supposed master whose ritual ultimately fails 65 72 74.

After Yan Junye awakens, Chang Yu cares for him at home and supports his rehabilitation 82 87. Once rehabilitation is complete, he introduces Yan Junye to the Chang family as his “one and only partner in life.” Their marriage is subsequently revealed to Kan Jia, though they have kept it out of the news 91 97.

Second Soul Exchange and Disclosure

When Xiaotu is injured and Yan Junye loses consciousness, Chang Yu realizes that the soul exchange has happened again. He rushes to the veterinary hospital and has his assistant investigate Pei Bai’s attack 111. He later joins a livestreamed dog show to help Yan Junye confront Pei Bai 118.

Chang Yu eventually reveals his mind-reading. Yan Junye feels exposed and suspects that his affection was manipulation; Chang Yu insists that his love is genuine and gives him physical distance for privacy 133 134. Their attempts to trigger another awakening through anger fail. Yan Junye finally returns to his body when his desire to care for the hospitalized Chang Yu reaches its peak 136 140 141.

The two reconcile and exchange rings. Chang Yu then declines further requests to divine other people’s secrets, saying that having Yan Junye is enough 142.

Side Stories

• Reversed mind-reading: Yan Junye receives the opportunity to hear Chang Yu’s past thoughts and one day of his present thoughts, discovering both his insecurity and his wish to give Yan Junye a carefree life 145.
• Dog ears and tail: Chang Yu helps Yan Junye conceal his newly grown tail by cutting an opening in his trousers 147.
• Calico transmigration: Chang Yu’s soul enters the rescued calico at Xi Wu’s clinic. Yan Junye takes care of him until he returns to his human body the following evening 148.

Relationships

• Yan Junye — Husband and former emotional support companion while inhabiting Xiaotu. Chang Yu finances and supports his recovery, conceals his mind-reading, and later works to regain his trust after disclosure 65 97 134 142.
• Xiaotu — His golden retriever and emotional support dog, distinct from Yan Junye despite their shared-body periods. Chang Yu agrees to continue treating the original dog well after Yan Junye’s return to human form 6 105 110.
• Chang Liao — Father. Their relationship combines concern, business dealings, and exasperation over Chang Liao’s travel and habit of pushing responsibilities onto him 28 58 66 68.
• Liao Mei — Mother. Her interference with his sexuality and relationships leads him to threaten disclosure of a family secret to establish boundaries 5 17.
• Zhang Yao — Unwanted fiancée selected by Liao Mei. Chang Yu rejects the arrangement and publicly exposes her cheating 3 8.
• Xi Wu — Wealthy acquaintance involved in animal rescue and veterinary care. They cooperate over rescued animals, though Chang Yu resists his repeated requests to recruit Xiaotu for catching cats 131 132 148.
• Yan Junliang — Yan Junye’s older brother. Initially guarded toward Chang Yu, he remains involved in his brother’s care and the later crisis surrounding his unconsciousness 80 131 134.
• Pei Bai — Source of romantic jealousy and later an adversary after attacking Xiaotu. Chang Yu supports those challenging his accusations and misconduct 103 111 118 121.

Notable Quotes

“Stop prying into my private life, or I can expose this at any time.” 17

“His well-being matters more than anything.” 90

“I'm not asking Yanyan to be generous enough to forgive me. I'm only asking Yanyan not to leave me.” 102

“I wasn't using you. I really do like you.” 134